Vehicle exhaust assemblies are typically formed of sheet metal or stainless steel to allow the transport of hot exhaust gases from a combustion engine away from the vehicle. Such exhaust assemblies typically include one or more volume mufflers, designed to absorb and dissipate acoustic and thermal energy. Metal is typically primarily used to allow the exhaust system to withstand high temperatures, and transfer heat away in the gases away from the vehicle.
Metal, of course, has its limitations: it is somewhat cumbersome to form; it is heavy; and bulky. Also the shapes that can be formed are somewhat limited. Further, it is prone to corrosion.
More recently, synthetic materials, such as polymers, have been introduced into vehicle exhaust assemblies. The polymer material is less costly, lighter, and less susceptible to corrosion. At the same time, such materials are typically less able to dissipate heat.
Nevertheless exhaust systems that incorporate synthetic materials are in early stages of development. Accordingly, there remains a need for exhaust systems and subsystems that take advantage of synthetic materials.